The US is braced for one of the worst hurricane seasons it’s ever had. The Caribbean, and the US, has already been hit with one of the worse hurricanes it has ever seen. Already there has been 15 tropical cyclones over the Atlantic, the major hurricanes Irma, Harvey, and Maria, have already devastated different areas of the US. So what does this mean for those who could be next in the path of destruction? It means it literally does pay to be paranoid. Check out these ideas on how to stay as safe as possible.

Stock Essentials

If a hurricane hits your town hard, chances are everything you know and love will be demolished. As sad as this sounds, it’s true. Shops will be shut, and getting the essentials everyone else is trying to attain is going to be tough. So pack a few boxes full of things you can’t live without. No, we don’t mean your favourite chocolate bar. We mean clothes, tins of food, water, medicine etc. You don’t know how long you you’ll be without supplies for, so stocking up on a larger amount is recommended. It might be worth purchasing a sleeping bag for all the members of the household. It won’t be clear where you’ll be sleeping for a while. If you have pets, don’t forget about them too!! Stock up on plenty of animal food as well.

Protect The House

If you’re choosing to stand your ground, or if your area hasn’t been evacuated, it’s a good idea to put up a few precautions around the house. The main being boarding up the windows. If they shatter, it can cause some really nasty cuts and injuries. All you’ll need is a few thick planks of wood, a table saw, some nails and a hammer. If you don’t have a table saw, you can purchase relatively cheap one’s from companies such as bestofmachinery.com. They’re just easier to use to cut through thicker wood than normal saws. Size up the wood and cut through. Then nail it to all the doors and windows for extra protection. It’s also a good idea to tie anything down in the garden, or take it down altogether. Whether it be a trampoline or a few plant pots. Bring them inside or get them secure.

Generators

One of the many annoying issues a hurricane causes is loss of power. Even if it is a tropical storm rather than a fully formed hurricane, you’re guaranteed to lose power. So look into purchasing a portable generator. They might be expensive, but it can sometimes be days without electricity. A generator will give you that vital power to be able to shower, and have light during the darker nights. Another handy piece of equipment is a gas cooker.

Preparing for a hurricane isn’t as hard as it looks. With a season like we’re forecast to have, it really will pay to be paranoid. If the statistics are correct, this is going to be one of the biggest, harshest seasons on record, so make so you and your home is prepared.

Nobody knows when a natural disaster might occur that affects their families. However, it’s possible to research the likelihood of those instances by taking a look at local history. Some towns sit on fault lines, and so there is a decent chance that earthquakes will occur at some point. Similarly, some cities lie in the path of tornadoes that come from the Caribbean, and so it’s vital that everyone learns as much as possible about the potential issues they face. Once you’ve done that, be sure to consider the three simple preparations listed below. In survival situations, these concepts could save your life!

Read survival books and articles

There are lots of specialist prepper blogs and sites like Prepared Bee that publish thousands of disaster articles you need to read. Those with the best understanding of the procedures they need to follow are going to survive longer than most. At the very least, you should learn how to start fires and some basic hunting skills. It’s also sensible to find out as much information as possible about natural fuel sources and growing vegetables. Some of the most famous preppers release books, and it’s well worth investing in those titles. You can never read too much when it comes to preparing for emergency situations.

Keep enough food in your home to last for a month

Everyone should make sure there is enough food in the house to keep their family alive for at least a month according to sites like Real Simple. Of course, it’s essential that you use some common sense when you head out to the store. Don’t purchase anything fresh because it won’t last for more than a few days. Instead, opt for canned goods that only require heat as part of their preparation. Other foods people might want to store at home include:

Rice

Dried meats

Potatoes

Beans

Tinned vegetables

If you get stuck for ideas, it’s possible to find prepper’s shopping list suggestions online. Just search Google until you find something suitable.

Invest in a product that purifies water

It’s impossible to tell when an earthquake or similar disaster will affect the electricity and water supply in your area. Human beings will survive for less than a week in most instances if they can’t find suitable fluids to drink. With that in mind, be sure to find a water purification device that does not require the use of electricity. That way, you can take your family down to the nearest stream or river if worst comes to worst. It’s also sensible to invest in some old oil drums for your garden because they make the perfect rain catchers. While salt water is not ideal, a decent purifier will ensure the liquid is fit for consumption. When all’s said and done, it’s better than dying of thirst.

Those three ideas should assist all readers in making sure they survive if a natural disaster occurs in their area. Just as an extra tip, make sure you also keep some emergency radios at home because you might want to call for help at some point. Ensure the batteries are always charged because the power might go down. Whatever happens in the future, people who paid attention to this advice will find themselves in a much better position. So, remember to share this post with all your friends. Well, the ones you like anyway.

The government of South Korea is making every effort to turn its citizens into a country of survivalists. With the ever-increasing threats from the North, South Korean preppers are becoming mainstream, instead of a quirky fringe element.

The South Korean President isn’t taking this lying down. “In case North Korea undertakes provocations against us or our ally, we have the power to destroy (the North) beyond recovery.” (source)This threat most likely will not please the Dear Leader of North Korea, so it’s probably safe to predict even greater hostilities on the horizon.

South Koreans have been warned to get ready.

The South Korean Ministry of Public Administration and Security has issued guidelines for a variety of attacks to their citizens due to the ever-increasing risk of an attack by North Korea. Here are some brief quotes from the Ministry. Go here to read the whole thing.

1. The basics

Despite living under constant threat of war, South Koreans rarely possess emergency supply kits at home or know how to assemble one. This may be an opportunity to put one together, since it is helpful not just in war, but in other emergencies, such as an earthquake or flood.

According to the Security Ministry, the kit should at least include these items: necessary medications, a battery-powered radio with extra batteries, a flashlight, candles, gas masks, as well as food and water for at least three days…

2. In case of North Korean artillery barrage

North Korea often threatens to turn Seoul into a “sea of fire.” South Koreans, so used to the regime’s fiery rhetoric, don’t even blink at such threats. To be sure, though, Pyongyang has thousands of conventional artillery lined up toward Seoul, ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

In such an attack, the first step is to relocate to fallout shelters. Make sure you know where to head when at home, work, school or places where you regularly spend time.

There are around 24,000 shelters nationwide in public buildings, subway stations and underground parking spaces…

3. If it involves chemical weapons?

When a chemical weapons attack occurs, a person must immediately cover his or her face with a gas mask or other cloth, and seek safety in higher places.

Animal corpses are one of the first signs of such attacks. Usually corpses of birds and fish will be spotted on ground and in the water.

High ground nearby such as a rooftop is the most convenient place to seek refuge when a deadly chemical agent is unleashed. Most chemical gases, such as sarin, are denser than air, which means they will sink to the ground.

The wind will carry toxic materials, so an escapee must head toward the opposite direction of the blowing wind…

4. To survive a nuclear blast?

A nuclear bomb can only delivered by a missile and South Korean and US militaries here will be able to detect any preparation for a launch. So there will be a loud alarm going on to alert people on the imminent missile attack, whether it is a nuclear attack or not.

Even in a nuclear attack, there is a chance to survive if you manage to go at least 15 meters below ground. Find subway stations. If there is no underground facility nearby, hide inside lead or concrete structures. (source)

Citizens are taking the advice seriously.

The article goes on to describe a video by a popular female comedian that teaches watchers how to create a bug-out bag. But that’s not all. South Korean preppers are becoming mainstream.

When typing “survival bag” in Korean on the video-streaming platform, more than 21,000 relevant videos, mostly uploaded in recent months, are found. This shows that the series of military provocations by Pyongyang in recent months has scared more and more people in South Korea.

“Sales of combat rations, self-powered radios and gas masks surge for a few days after a North Korean provocation,” said Kim Hyun-tak, CEO of the outdoor and prepper goods store Hangangsa.

“The three are considered basic items in the case of war,” he said. “While combat rations have steady popularity for the whole year, gas masks are rarely sold unless the North launches a missile or conducts a nuclear test. The pattern has been almost the same for many years.”

The ministry states each household should obtain processed food provisions for 15 to 30 days to prepare for possible war. It also urges households to pile up enough water, and blankets and clothes that can keep people warm. Other recommended accessories in time of war include a portable battery, gloves and personal hygiene products such as toothbrushes and towels, according to the ministry.(source)

It’s nice to see that South Koreans are heeding the warnings. Of course, any person living that close to the DMZ would be insane not to be taking action to prepare themselves.

When the warnings start, it’s often too late.

Generally speaking, the more dependent a citizenry is, the easier they are to control. In my book, The Pantry Primer, I wrote about the history of using food as a weapon of manipulation by governments throughout history. Whenever the government gives up the Nanny stance and tells people that they need to put on their big kid pants and take care of themselves, there’s reason for concern.

We’ve seen this before.

If you’ve been following collapses around the world for the past few years, you know that right before all heck breaks loose, the government issues a half-hearted warning along the lines of, “You’re on your own now.” But by then, it’s already too late. People who try to prepare after the government tells them to will be dealing with limited supplies as everyone else tries to get prepped too.

The lesson that we can take from this is that being prepared far in advance of a collapse is the wisest course of action. If you stock up on emergency food, water, and other vital supplies before the crowd, you’ll do so at better prices with better options. As far as nuclear preparedness is concerned, there are a lot of things you can do to make this survivable. This inexpensive Nuclear Preparedness class contains hours of recorded interviews with nuclear experts, and this articlehas good advice as well.

Hopefully, South Korean preppers will be able to access the supplies they need at prices they can afford before North Korea speeds up the timeline. Once the attacks are incoming, it will be too late.

The devastation of the Texas coast has been sobering, to say the least, and has brought about a new found focus in the preparedness community to get more families prepared for disasters. While Hurricane Harvey was an extreme case, what we can take away from this ordeal is that you cannot always foresee every given turn of a disaster and by being fully insulated from disasters you will find yourself in the best case scenario.

We all live in an area that sees some type of disaster: flood, wildfire, earthquakes, droughts and other extreme weather scenarios. As well, not enough can be said about preparing for personal disasters like job loss, which do not always give warning.

In response to this ever-growing need to prepare, Ready Nutrition is gearing up for a month of preparedness. Each week, we are going to bring you preparedness materials you can use to get prepped for all types of disasters. We’ve done this before in our 52-weeks to preparedness series, but this will cover more information in a shorter amount of time.

As an added incentive, we will be giving away preparedness products and books to Ready Nutrition readers. All you have to do is sign up for our newsletter and leave a comment in one of our weekly National Preparedness articles about what you feel the most important aspect of being prepared is in the bottom of the article. It could be commenting on the most important preparedness items, some lessons you learned personally from a disaster, situations you witnessed during a disaster or preparedness ideas people may not always think of when preparing.

As a community, I hope you will spread the word to folks who might need an added push to start getting ready or who do not know where to start. Having a more prepared community will reduce the initial shock of a disaster.

Here’s what we’ll cover in the Crash Course in Preparedness

Week 1:The Survival Basics – This will cover how you should make a plan and getting your beginning preparedness supplies in order, tips, as well as valuable skills you should learn.

During this first week, we will be giving away a preparedness manual and a 72-hour kit at the end of the week to a lucky winner! All you have to do is sign up for our newsletter and leave a comment.

Week 2: Medicine, Sanitation, and Disaster Disease Prevention – Following a disaster, sanitation, hygiene and medical care are often at the forefront of needs. We will dive into more details on immediate threats that occur in the wake of disasters, what you can do to be ready and how to avoid these aftermath scenarios when they occur. As an incentive, we will give away a sanitation kit and another preparedness manual.

Week 3:Reinforcing Your Survival Plans Using Long-Term Strategies – During this week, we will focus on how you can reinforce your preparedness plans and add additional preps so they extend into longer-term scenarios. Some of those far-reaching events are biological and chemical disasters, mass casualty health, longer-term food needs and more. As well, we will delve into long-term security measures you can use to protect your home and belongings.

To better prepare for these type of events, one winner will get a gas mask as the giveaway prize of the week to add to your preps and The Prepper’s Blueprint!

Week 4: Getting Your Community Prepped – We’ve heard the term, “It takes a village.” Well, when a disaster strikes, it really does take the binding of a community to get through. Disasters are an undeniable part of life, but a prepared community is more resilient and can withstand longer-term scenarios. Having a large group of prepared individuals will help the general public thrive for longer amounts of time because each home has the supplies and skills it needs to keep going. Moreover, communities should provide skills training to help the general public learn critical survival skills for long-term survival. And that is just what we will be discussing in week 4.

A few months ago, I co-hosted a webinar with the folks at SunOven on how to cook with the sun and was amazed at how many uses the SunOven had in an off-grid environment. You can read my review of them here. Our gift on our final week of National Preparedness Month is one of these dynamic SunOvens complete with a homesteading package. Remember all you need to do is sign up for the Ready Nutrition newsletter and leave a helpful comment in the article.

Let’s Do This!

Whether you’re preparing for a short-term disaster or a long-term disaster, you have the same basic goal. That goal is to be self-sufficient and have the ability to care for yourself and your family independently during an unforeseen event.

As an added incentive, if your local church is interested in starting a preparedness course for its congregation, I would like to send a free copy of The Prepper’s Blueprint to them to help get that endeavor going. 1 manual will be sent to each church. I have 20 books that I would like to send so please contact me through my Facebook page with a church address. The first 20 churches get the books!

Tess Pennington is the author of The Prepper’s Blueprint, a comprehensive guide that uses real-life scenarios to help you prepare for any disaster. Because a crisis rarely stops with a triggering event the aftermath can spiral, having the capacity to cripple our normal ways of life. The well-rounded, multi-layered approach outlined in the Blueprint helps you make sense of a wide array of preparedness concepts through easily digestible action items and supply lists.

Tess is also the author of the highly rated Prepper’s Cookbook, which helps you to create a plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply and includes over 300 recipes for nutritious, delicious, life-saving meals.

Visit her web site at ReadyNutrition.com for an extensive compilation of free information on preparedness, homesteading, and healthy living.

Hurricane Harvey has once again reminded us of the awesome destructive power that nature holds. For raw power, a major hurricane, like Harvey, surpasses anything man can create, even a nuclear bomb. The bomb’s energy is concentrated in a much smaller area, increasing its impact on whatever is within its blast radius. But the overall energy of a hurricane, spread over a much larger area and a much longer time, far surpasses it.

Most of the damage by hurricanes isn’t caused by the high winds, but by the water that they bring. It’s hard to believe, but water, something we need for life, is one of the most destructive materials on the earth. It can destroy anything, given enough quantity and time.

For this reason, as well as the suddenness of a flood hitting, it is difficult to defend against one. But if we want to be truly prepared for any disaster, then we must include the possibility of flooding in that preparation. There are few areas in the country that are not subject to the potential of flooding, even if the location is not considered to be in what is known as a “100-year flood zone.” Besides, there once was a time when the entire world flooded, so it’s not prudent to think any of us are safe.

It’s important to note that only people who live in one of those 100-year flood zones are required to buy flood insurance as a condition of their home’s mortgage. So, if you don’t live in one of those areas, you probably don’t have flood insurance. What this means is that if your home gets flooded, the insurance company isn’t going to help.

Bug out bags are essential items for any survivalist. Deciding what to put in your bag can be difficult. Each person has different needs and requirements. You may have a large family, or you could be a single person, prepping for the future. A bug out bag is meant to carry items to allow you to survive for 72 to 96 hours when you evacuate due to emergencies.

There is no right or wrong answer to the items you include! Some people have multiple bug out bags for different scenarios. You may have one particular scenario in your head, or you may want to be prepared for anything you encounter. No matter the purpose of the bag, there are some items I consider essential and have in all of my bags.

CRUCIAL TIP: Your bug out bag must be made according to YOUR climate and region. If you live in a region that has frequent snowfalls, you must take that into consideration. I live in Ohio, so my list may be vastly different compared to someone living in the South! Other considerations are your age, the number of people in your group and any medical conditions. All of those factors will determine the items you pack in your bug out bag.

#1. Tent/tarp/poncho

The elements can kill quickly if you are left in them. You don’t need a fancy tent in your BOB. In fact, a huge tent will take up too much space in your bag. The shelter can be anything from a one-person tent to a poncho that can keep the rain off your body. Some people include tarps if they have space in their bags.

All too often, preppers include things like food and fire starting devices, but they forget how quickly the elements will kill you, so be sure to put it at the top of your list!

A hurricane preparedness checklist will provide reassurance that you will have thought of all the essentials (provided that they are on the list) and will greatly reduce the likelihood that you will forget something during the stressful time immediately before a potential hurricane disaster.

Note: No list is a perfect or complete list because we all have our own unique circumstances, concerns, and existing resources. Besides, it would take a book to complete one… That said perhaps this list will help get you going in the right direction. It is intended to provoke thought, prepping & preparedness for a hurricane.

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS: GENERAL SUPPLIES

Pack a “Bug Out Bag” and/or “72 hour kit”: This bag of contents should be packed with essential supplies, food & water, clothing, and whatever you feel is important to have during an evacuation. There are lots of articles on our site with more specifics…

Cash: ATMs and credit card machines may not work for a while after the storm.

Battery-operated radio: Make sure you have extra batteries too, so that you can keep up with news reports and alerts. Hand-crank radios work well, too.